The 49ers will soon get some reinforcement in their secondary. Safety Jimmie Ward and cornerback Jason Verrett returned to practice today, per Matt Barrows of The Athletic (on Twitter). ESPN’s Nick Wagoner tweeted yesterday that the duo was expected to return to practice. The team later announced that the duo has been designated to return.
Verrett suffered a torn ACL during Week 1 of the 2021 campaign. He landed on PUP to start the 2022 regular season, and he’ll now have three weeks to show he’s ready to return. The 31-year-old has only had one relatively healthy campaign in three-plus years with the 49ers, as he was limited to only one game in 2019 thanks to an ankle injury. He started 13 games for San Francisco in 2020, finishing with 60 tackles and a pair of interceptions.
Cornerbacks Charvarius Ward, Emmanuel Moseley, and slot Deommodore Lenoir played 100 percent of San Francisco’s defensive snaps on Monday. Verrett probably won’t knock any of them out of the starting lineup, but he’ll help provide some experienced depth at the position.
Ward suffered a hamstring injury during the preseason, landing him on injured reserve. The 2014 first-round pick struggled with injuries early in his career but has been pretty healthy recently, missing only six games for the 49ers between 2019 and 2021. Last year, he started a career-high 16 games and finished with 77 tackles and two interceptions.
Both Talanoa Hufanga and Tashaun Gipson have filled in nicely for the veteran safety to start the 2022 campaign. Hufanga, a 2021 fifth-round pick, would likely be knocked to a backup role with Ward back in the lineup, although he’s ranked as PFF’s second-best safety in the NFL this year (among 82 qualifying players).
Tofanga isn’t going ANYWHERE! He’s a beast!!!
Lol. Autocorrect
Stupid phone. Hunfanga
I’m really impressed with Hufangas start to the season. He’s so much quicker this year. Playing with instincts and no hesitation. Love his tackling skills he’s a sure thing in open field. Gipson has improved his stock on our team or someone else’s. Whether we keep him all year or not he’s made some noise himself. If Varret can just be ready for when we need him I think he’s a brain to help the guys in place make good decisions. Knowing he can take a job if a slip happens injury or otherwise
verrett is a dirty look away from season ending IR
0 chance Hufanga comes out of the lineup. And verrett is arguably their best cb when healthy.
Verrett then promptly shattered three hamstrings
This is excellent news, anything they can get out of Verrett is gravy, dude is a stud when he’s healthy.
As far as Hufanga goes, he ain’t going NEAR THE BENCH anytime soon while the 49ers defense is on the field, Ward or not.
What you will likely see is Ward taking over for Gipson on most downs, and then you’ll also probably see some 3 safety sets with Huff near the LOS.
WHhen it was Tartt and Ward the two were interchangeable amd both cross-trained. I think we will see Huff play more of the versatile hybrid safety, lining up all over the field, sometimes helping to fill the hole left by losing their 3rd off-ball LB Al-Shaiir, and then also having him play CF some. While I think we will see Ward play more towards the man coverage side of things, while also sometimes lining up as the Nickel…
Defense already looks good and now these two returning?